Hong Ji-seon, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated that she will continue discussions with Seoul City to expedite the urban public housing complex project. While expressing concerns that the city's pre-planning procedures are causing delays, she ruled out the option of reclaiming the permit authority delegated to the mayor of Seoul.
After a meeting at the urban complex project site near Yaksu Station in Seoul on November 11, Hong told reporters, "The process of exercising permit authority by Seoul City is leading to unreasonable situations where the project is not progressing due to pre-integrated planning that lacks legal procedures from the residents' perspective."
Regarding the possibility of returning the approval authority to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, she emphasized, "The original intention of delegating permit authority to local governments was to facilitate swift administrative procedures on-site and reflect residents' opinions. Rather than reclaiming the authority, I am requesting prompt negotiations with Seoul City."
When asked about the timeline for discussions with Seoul City, she replied, "There is no set deadline, but the sooner, the better."
Hong also addressed concerns over the fairness of applying the price ceiling system to newly added candidate sites for urban complex projects in the Gangnam area. She stated, "Since this is a public project, just because the price ceiling system does not apply does not mean we can arbitrarily raise prices. We are considering various options, including public contributions."
On candidate sites where many residents oppose the project, she remarked, "Residents' opinions are the most important, and we should proceed according to legal procedures."
Meanwhile, Hong maintained a cautious stance regarding the revision of the enforcement decree of the Park and Green Space Act related to the installation of a Namsan gondola, as requested by Seoul City. She said, "We cannot revise the enforcement decree solely for the demands of Seoul City, as this matter applies to parks and green spaces nationwide, and we are gathering opinions from various experts."
Regarding the timing of imposing fees under the Excess Profit Recovery System for reconstruction, she noted, "We have requested a legal interpretation from relevant agencies and are awaiting the results. Since a bill to abolish the system is also pending in the National Assembly, we will review it from multiple angles."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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